Valve



I Umted States Patent [111 3,536,100

[72] Inventors Darrell W. Marlow FOREIGN PATENTS 613,430 4/1935 Germany...................... l37/625.47 John Shunt, .lr., Johnston City, Illinois I Prunary Examiner-M. Cary Nelson [21] Appl. No. 781,419 [22] Filed Dem 1968 Asslstam Exanuner-M1chael O. St u1'm Patented Oct 27 1970 Attorneys-H. Samuel Kieser. W1ll1am W. Jones, Richard S. [73] Assign 0th corponthm rtg1ckleri Rohert H. Bachman,Donald R, Mot k d a corporation of Virginia omas 0 Day [54] VALVE 6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. S C A valve f the type having a rotor ltatahh: t0 251/ connect any one of two outlets with an inlet, said rotor being [51] Int. Fl6lt "/08 mounted in the body so that it can fl t in a direction Field 25 l/l; dicular to the axis ofthe in|ct A segment ofthe outside n of l37/6254; 251/3101 251/309; 37/6254, the rotor opposite its outlet has a diameter equal to the internal diameter of the valve body. A second segment opposite [56] Refenu Cmd said first segment is greater than and is generated about UNlTED STATES PATENTS an axis offset with respect to the axis of the'first seg'ment in a 5/1915 25 H3 l0 direction away from the outlet ofthe rotor.

M31 w z M flow lr -uv 9' 4 3 1 z Patented Oct. 27, 1970 I 3,536,100

2 i I za (j g4 f 7H I 64 if v A 22 Y l4 if 7 LI Z0 8 v 10 64 FIG '3 I FIG "2 INVENTORSI I DARRELL mmnmw- JOHN SHUM JR. I

ATTORNEY VALVE This invention relates generally to valves. More particularly, this invention relates to a rotary valve'having a rotor rotatable to connect any one of two outlets with an inlet.

There are some circumstances where it is desirable to be able to switch a source of high temperature fluid back and forth between one of two given flow paths. An example of such a system is an engine starting system wherein there are two adjacent engines each provided with its own starting motor. If the starting motor is of the type that is driven bya high temperature gas suchas that generated from a propellant cartridge and if no switching means are available. it would be necessary to provide two breeches for actuation of the propellant cartridges, one-for each starting motor.

The present invention is directed to a valve particularly adapted for the above-mentioned type of system wherein the gas generated by the ignition of a propellant cartridge in a single breech can be directed to any one of two flow paths.

This invention has for one of its objects the provision of an improved switching valve for use with high temperature. corrosive media.

Another object of this invention is to provide a valve housing an improved rotor designed to improve the sealing of the closed outlet.

A further object of this invention is to provide a switching valve which is designed to compensate for the relative differences in thermal expansion between the rotor and the valve body.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a reliable and relatively inexpensive valve for use with high temperature media.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent by reference to' the following description of a preferred embodiment and to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is a vertical, cross-sectional view of a valve designed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal, cross-sectional view taken along the lines 2-2 of FIG. I; and

FIG. 3 is a horizontal. cross-sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 of FIG. I. v

As shown in the drawings, a valve constructed in accordance with the present invention includes a valve body 2, a rotor 4 mounted in the valve body 2, an actuating mechanism 6, and a cap 8 covering the upper end of the valve body 2.

The valve body 2 has a vertically extending, cylindrical bore 10 extending therethrough. The lower end portion of the bore 10 is reduced to form an inlet port 12 and a horizontally disposed seat 14. The valve body 2 is also provided with two outlet ports 16 and I8 in the side wall of the body 2. The outlet ports 16 and 18 are spaced 180 apart with their common axis perpendicular to the axis of the inlet port 12. The inlet port 12 as well as both outlet ports 16 and 18 may have a conduit 20 I provided with a coupling 22 to provide means for attaching the valve to the system conduits. The conduits 20 may be attached to the valve body 2 by any suitable means such as welding or the like.

The rotor 4 is mounted in the bore 10 of the valve body 2 with its bottom surface 24 resting on the seat 14. An inlet 26 is provided in the rotor 4 and has an axis coincident with the axis of the inlet port 12 and communicates therewith. An outlet 28, in communication with the inlet 26, is also provided in the rotor 4. The outlet 28 has an axis which lies in the same plane as the common axis of the outlet ports 16 and 18 in the valve body 2. A portion 29 of the internal surface between the inlet 26 and outlet 28 of the rotor 4 is tapered at about 45 with respect to the axis of the inlet 26 and outlet 28 so that the fluid passing therethrough impinges upon said surface to apply a force to the rotor having a component tending to move the rotor toward the outlet port 18 in the valve body 2 to be sealed and away from the outlet port 16 with which the outlet 28 of the rotor 4 is in communication.

Referring to FIG. 2, in the preferred embodiment of the invention the radius of the outer wall of the rotor 4 over segment greater than 180. The important consideration'is that the portion of the outer wall of the rotor 4 opposite the outlet 28 should have a diameter equal to the diameter of the bore 10 and some clearance should be provided on the outlet side of the rotor 4 when the opposite side is in contact with the wall of the bore 10. The clearance should extend about therotor 4 a sufficient distance so that the rotor 4 can float.

The actuating mechanism 6 includes a turning member 30 which is inserted into the bore 10 at the upper end thereof until its bottom face 32 rests on the top face 34 of'the rotor 4. Two dowel members 36 .and 38 extend from the bottom face 32 of the turning member 30 into oversize openings 40 and 42 in the top of the rotor 4 to provide means for imparting rota tion of the turning member 30 to the rotor 4.

The cap 8 has a central aperture 44 and is threadedly secured to the top of the valve body 2. A slight clearance is provided between the inner surface of the cap 8 and a shoulder 46 on the turning member 30. As the turning member 30 rests on top of the rotor 4 and the bottom of the rotor 4 in turn rests on seat 14, the rotor is limited in the amount of movement in an an axial direction. If no clearance were provided between the cap 8 and the turning member 30. the force required to rotate the turning member could be too great. In addition, the clearance is required to permit the rotor 4 to float freely in a radial direction.

An O-ring 48 is mounted in a circumferentially extending groove 50 in the outer surface of the rotor 4 and is in sealing engagement with the bore 10 of the valve body 2 to inhibit leakage of the fluid past the turning member 30. The O-ring 48 may be fabricated from any suitable elastomeric material capable of withstanding the high temperatures of the fluid.

A projection 52 extends from the turning member 30 through the aperture 44 in the cap 8. Suitable actuating means may be attached to the projection 52. As shown in FIG. 1. such actuating means may be in the form of a handle 54. However, it is to be understood that the valve can be actuated by means of a commercially available rotary actuator, a commercially available piston and cylinder type actuator provided with suitable linkage, or a rack and pinion arrangement.

As shown in FIGS. I and 3, the upper portion of the body 2 is counterbored to provide a circumferentially extending groove 56. Two dowels are mounted in the groove 56 in a direction parallel to the axis of the bore I0 and are circumferentially spaced to provide two stops 58 and 60. A stop member 62 in the form of a dowel or the like extends radially outwardly from the side of the turning member 30. The stops 58 and 60 are so positioned with respect to thestop member 62 such that when the stop member 62 is in abutment with the stop 58, the outlet 28 of the rotor 4 is aligned with the outlet port 16 in the valve body 2. If the rotor 4 were turned 180 until the stop member 62 is in engagement with the stop 60, the outlet 28 of the rotor 4 will be aligned with the outlet port 18 of the valve body 2.

As stated above, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the outer surface of the rotor 4 is defined by segment S is greater than I". This fact, coupled with thefact that .the openings 40 and 42 into which the dowels 38 extend are oversized, permits the rotor 4 to float in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the bore 10. Accordingly, when a fluid passes through inlet port 12 in the valve body 2 through the inlet 26 of the rotor 4, the force of the fluid against the internal surface of the rotor, including portion 29, urges the portion of the rotor wall defined by segment S into tight engagement with the portion of bore 10 opposite the outlet 28. This insures a tight seal to prevent the fluid from passing through the closed outlet. By virtue of the fact that the wall of the rotor 4 defined segment S is generated about an axis offset with respect to the bore 10 of the valve body 2. a space is provided to com pensate for therelative thermal expansion between the rotor 4 and valve body 2.

Two small bleed holes 64 and 66 are provided in the rotor 4 andare spaced90from the rotor outlet 28 and 180 from each other.- The bleed holes 64 and 66 'allow the fluid tobleed rnean s'mounting said rotor'insaid body soasaid rotor can float x in a direction perpendicular to the axis of said third port.

into both outletports l6 and 18 in the event that the rotor4' is j inadvertently rotated tofapoint where the outlet 28 thereof is not in communication with one of the two outlet ports 16 and second ports havingan axis lying in a common plane perpenl. A 'valve' foruse wtth high temperature fluidsssaid valve comprising a body having a cylindrical bore therein and proj vided'with first, secondand third ports, each of saidfirst and l dicular to the axis of said bore, and saidthird port having an axis perpendicular tothe" common plane of said first and second ports; a rotormounted in said valve body; said rotor 1 having" a flow channel therethrough, one end'of said flow channel being inrcor nm'unication with said first port and the,

other end being movable between a first position wherein it is the wall of said rotor greater than l80 adjacent said one end of said flow channel being spaced from the wall of said bore when said first segment is flush with the bore in said body, and

2.'The valve of claim! wherein thevaxis of said first' andl v second ports are spaced circumferentially' 1 80,": about the body.

of said valve. t

3. The valveof claim 2 wherein said flow face inclined with respect to the axes of all of said ports.

4. Thevalve of claim 2 further includings top meansfor limiting the rotation of said rotor between a point wherein said other end of said flow channelris in communication with said v first port and a point wherein said other end ofsaid flow channel isin communication with saidsecond port. a v V p 5. The valve of claim'4 further including means for limiting the axial movement'of said rotor within said bore.

- -6. The valve of claim wherein said body includes a seat ad jacent' the bottom of said bore, said rotor having a bottom surface resting on said seat, and tfurther yincluding a turning 'member mounted insaid boreabove said rotor, either said rotor or said turning member having a plurality of projections extending therefrom; the other of saidlrotor or saidturning, m ember having projection receiving holes into which said projections extend, said projection receivingholes being larger than said projections to permit said rotor to floanand a cap member having a central aperture secured to the top of said body and spaced from said turning member. said turning.

member being provided with a projection extending outwardly from said body through said aperture.

channel has a sur- 

